Stalk-cutter



`(No Model.) 2 Sheets-SheetVv 1. J. A. DUGKWORTH.

STALK GUTTER. No. 507,676: f Patentedoot. 31,1893.

(No Model.) 2 shets-snet 2.

' J. A. DUCKWORTH.

STALK CUTTER.

No. 507,676. APatented oct.- 31, 1893.

gg-9 20 42?, 2a I /7- Q3 Z 1 A UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE. l

JOSEPH A. DUCKWORTH, OF ROCKY PASS, NORTH CAROLINA.

STAI.'K-CUTTERQl SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersvPatent No.507,676, dated October 31, 1893. Application filed May 23,1893.SerialNo. 475,256. (No model.)

To' all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. DUCK- WORTH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Rocky Pass, in the county of McDowell and State ofNorth Carolina, have invented a new and useful Stalk-Cutter, of whichthe following is a specification.

A My invention relates to improvements in Ystalk-cutters; the objects inview being to produce a machine of cheap and simple construction adaptedto be drawn over a iield of stalks of corn or cotton and to desiccate orsever the same into short sections or pieces whereby they may be leftupon the eld to enrich the soil and thus obviate the necessity ofgathering and burning; and to construct the machine so as to cut withfacility and from the tops to the bottoms of stalks.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certainfeatures of construction hereinafter specified and particularly pointedout in the claims.

Referring to the drawingsz-Figure 1 is a perspective View of astalk-cutter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transversesectional view of the same through one of the cutting shafts. Fig. 3 isa vertical longitudinal sectional vien1 of the machine. Fig. 4 is anenlarged transverse section throughone of the stationary knives, itssubjacent lingerbar, and an intermediate revolving cutter. Fig. 5 is ahorizontal section` through thelmachine and one of the knives.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the iigures of thedrawings.

In practice I employ a vertical frame constructed of suitable timber andconsisting of the opposite vertical sides l, the upper connecting crossor crown-piece 2, and the lower cross-beam 3, which is heavier than theupper piece. To the lower corners of the frame thus constructed there isattached cast-metal angle-irons 4, and the same are provided withopenings through which the stub-axles 5 extend, said stub-axlesaccommodating a pair of opposite ground-Wheels 6, to the inner side ofeach of which a sprocket-Wheel 7 is secured.

The inner faces of the sides 1 and the under side of the top orcross-piece 2 are provided with vertical and horizontal bars 8 and 9,respectively. The vertical bars 8 are provided at intervals withrecesses transversely disposed, and let therein and secured to thesurfaces of the sides l is a series of pairs of cleats 10. These cleats10 are graduated in length, that is, are shorter toward the lower end-ofthe series, so that the upper cleats extend out beyond the lower cleats,and they correspond in length to the front edges of the sides 1,which,asshown,are decreased in width toward their lower ends. Each pair ofopposite cleats is connectedl at its lower corners and hence at itsfront andrear ends by transverse connecting bars 11, and the front barssupport serrated finger-bars 12, which extend out beyond the edges ofthe bars 11. The upper front corners of the cleats support transverselydisposed stationary cutter-bars 13, Whose upper front corners arebeveled, as shown.

The lower corners of the framework are provided with4 sheet-metalconvexed guards 14, and the same are designed to guide the stalks to thecutting mechanism.

The hounds 15 are secured to the bars 11 at the center of lthe machineand brace the draft-pole 16.. Each pair. of opposite bars 11 isconnected by-circular braces 17, the same being constructed ofhalf-round iron, the front portions of the braces being let into theupper faces of the bars l1 and therefore extending between the' uppersides of said bars and the finger-bars 12.

Y At each side of the center the lower beam 2 is provided upon its upperside with bearings which are coincident with the centers of Ithecircular braces, and in these bearings are stepped the Ilower ends ofvertical shafts 18, the upper ends of which extend through openingsformed in the cross or crown-piece 3 beyond the same, and are providedwith beveled pinions 19. Short vertical bearingstandards 2O arelocatedpat opposite sides of each of these pinions, and the same supporta pair of transversely opposite and longitudinally aligning horizontalshafts 21. The outer ends of these shafts 21 project beyond their outerbearings, and are there provided with sprocket-Wheels' 22, whichtlirough the ICQ medium of sprocket-chains 23 receive motion from thosesprocketfwheels 7 located at the same side of the machine and secured tothe ground-wheels. Rotary motion is imparted from the sprocket-Wheel 22Vto the shaft 21, and from thence to the vertical shaft below the same bymeans of beveled gears 24: which are mounted in the shafts 2l and whichengage with the pinions 19.

In the same plane with the openings between the bars 13 and thecutter-bars 12 the vertical shafts 18 are provided with perforations,each opening in each shaft being disposed at variance with itscompanions. In these openings take the butt-ends 26 of a series ofcurved knives or cutters 27, the said butt-ends being squared to takeinto the openings and fit the same, and beyond the. same reduced andsecured in position by means of binding-nuts 28, all as shown in Fig. 5.

This being the construction, the operation is as followsz-As the machineis drawn along through a field of stalks, the stalks are gathered to themachine to such a degree or width as agrees with that of the machine,and are divided into halves by means of the team and draft-pole. Theupper portions of the stalks first come incontact with the machine andare severed by the revolving cutters, the said stalks being caught bythe tinger-bars and held during such severance. It will be seen that therevolving cutters coact with the stationary cutters to produce ashear-like cut, so that the cutting is facilitatedand the power requiredis a minimum. As soon as the upper ends of the stalks are cut the nextsubjacent cutters of the machine act upon the upper ends and so on down,each stalk being cut from its top to its bottom. The stalks are cut insuch small pieces that they mayv be left upon the ground and do notrequire to be raked together and burned, whereby I avoid the expense and1abor attendant upon such latter operation and enrich the soil overwhich they are strewn.

It is proposed in actual practice to employ a series of twelve revolvingand stationary cutters, whereby the stalks are divided into twelveportions, though this number may be increased or diminished as may bedesired.

The tongue is preferably braced by upper and lower L-shaped braces 2S,and a seat 29 for the driver is supported upon a standard 30 that risesfrom the crown or cross-piece 2 of the machine.

Having described my invention, what I claim is l. In a stalk-cutter, thecombination with a rectangular frame, a seriesV of finger-bars, a seriesof stationary beveled cutters arranged over the finger-bars and adjacentthereto, of vertical shafts in rear of the finger-bars, means forrevolving the shafts, knives carried by the shafts opposite the spacesbetween the cutters and finger-bars, and means for rotating said shafts,substantially as specified.

2. In a stalk-cutter, the combination with a rectangular frame, theopposite sides of which f decline from their upper to their lowerends rand at their front edges, a series of finger-bars and stationary cuttersarranged at the front edges of the sides, of vertical shafts in rear ofthe finger-bars, cutters arranged in the shafts` and adapted to operatebetween the finger bars and cutters, and means for rotating the shafts,substantiallyas specilied.

3. In a stalk-cutter, the combination with `the rectangular frame, theseries of transverse serrated finger-bars arranged thereover, the reartransverse hars, the circular braces connecting the finger-bars andtransverse bars, the vertical shafts arranged in the frame within thebraces, and knives extending from the shafts and adapted to operatebetween the finger-bars and the cutter-bars, beveled gears surmountingthe upper ends of the shafts, of standards arranged at op- A positesides of the beveled gears, shafts arranged in the standards, sprocketwheels at the outer ends of the shafts, gear wheels at the inner endsthereof engaging those of the knife-carrying shafts, axles at the lowerend of the machine, ground-wheels therefor, sprocket-wheels connected tothe groundwheels, and sprocket-chains connecting the sprocket-wheels ofthe ground-wheels with the sprocket-wheels of the upper shafts,substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myown I have hereto aiixed mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH A. DUCKWORTI-I.

Witnesses:

T. M. DALE, D. E. IIUDGINS.

IOO

